Before Michelle Hatchell and her partner, Liz, sent their child, Mimi, to school for the first time, the family sat down and created a script. "What can you say," Hatchell prompted, "if someone asks if you have two moms?" They sent Mimi's teacher picture books depicting families with two mothers. And they met with the principal, requesting Mimi be…

The shadowy, criminal nature of human trafficking makes evaluating its nature and scope difficult. The U.S. State Department and anti-trafficking groups estimate that worldwide some 27 million people are caught in a form of forced servitude today. Public awareness of modern-day slavery is gaining momentum thanks to new abolitionist efforts. Among…

Many school districts have deliberately sought ways to help their teachers become more conscious of personal biases they bring into the classroom. Stereotypes regarding race and gender in particular have received increased scrutiny since the 1970s. Unfortunately, teacher dispositions surrounding low-income students rarely get the same level of…

What inspires young people to become activists? Events such as wars or regime changes obviously raise high emotions. But some choose to get involved because they saw a need and felt compelled to take action. Young Americans have a long track record as activists. Among other things, they played a key role in the civil rights movement of the 1950s…

America's 2.5 million Muslims make up less than 1 percent of the U.S. population, according to the Pew Research Center. Anecdotally, educators know that many Muslim students face discrimination. Unfortunately, no group or government agency keeps statistics on the subject. But some cases have warranted investigation by the U.S. Department of…

The author has often heard that phrase, "the courage to teach," and dismissed it, thinking it referred to nothing more than long hours, discipline problems and exhaustion. But as her teaching career progresses, she has realized that "courage" really means learning to live in a state of disequilibrium. It means covering topics and delving into…

The n-word is unique in the English language. On one hand, it is the ultimate insult- a word that has tormented generations of African Americans. Yet over time, it has become a popular term of endearment by the descendents of the very people who once had to endure it. Among many young people today--black and white--the n-word can mean "friend".…

This article presents a retelling of "The Three Billy Goats Gruff." The story puts a cooperative twist on the traditional Norwegian tale.

When the author overheard her colleagues one day discussing teachers who don't follow state mandates--singing the benefits of enforced curriculum mapping to ensure every teacher is on the same page, teaching the same topic, at the same time--she didn't know they were talking about her. It wasn't until a colleague later cautioned that she was not…

In this article, the author shares how "encounter experiences" help pre-service and practicing teachers confront their attitudes about race and privilege. Multicultural understanding and proficiency have never been more important to teachers than they are right now. In their work as teacher educators over the years, they have carefully watched and…

For educators, the fight for social justice does not necessarily begin with a Third World cause in another hemisphere but begins instead with the children they serve to empower every day in their classrooms. The author teaches because he believes that each person, at his or her core, carries a sense of justice, however shrouded. That sense of…

There is no "typical" rural teacher. But wherever rural teachers are, they struggle against mighty forces, and they often struggle alone. This article provides a glimpse into the lives of three teachers in diverse, far-flung settings: Haralson County High School in northern Georgia, Red Cloud Indian School on the Pine Ridge Reservation…

Three decades have passed since federal law mandated inclusion--ending, officially at least, a system that segregated students with disabilities from the rest of the student population. The publishing world has yet to catch up. In children's books, characters with disabilities often inhabit their own separate world, where disability is the only…

This article is a part of the "Why I Teach" series. The author has been immersed in the culture of Selma, Alabama for the past 15 months. The world knows Selma as a focal point of the Civil Rights Movement. Presidents and presidents-to-be have come here to commemorate the city's role in the struggle for equal voting rights. Despite the city's…

Sarah Arnold was in a bind. On the surface, the students in her 11th-grade English courses seemed to have their act together. Like so many people their age, Arnold's students saw open homophobia as uncool. On the other hand, when Arnold listened to her students talking before the bell, she often heard an anti-gay undertone that disturbed her.…